Veterinary Medicine - October 2007 - (Page 674)

H OW YO U CA N H E L P Promote and perform early spaying and neutering [ Reducing the number of euthanasias starts with reducing the number of accidental pregnancies. ] WHAT WORKS FOR helters can adopt out only so many animals, says Kate Hurley, DVM, MPVM, director of the Koret Shelter Medicine Program at the University of California, Davis. So the biggest impact on euthanasia numbers will be on the intake side of the equation, not the adoption side. And one of the most effective strategies to reduce the number of animals brought to shelters, Dr. Hurley says, is early spaying and neutering. Janet M. Scarlett, DVM, who heads the Maddie’s Shelter Medicine program at Cornell University, agrees that early spaying and neutering is one place veterinarians can make a large impact on the problem. She notes that veterinarians have traditionally been taught to do the surgeries at about 6 months of age, but a decade ago researchers began challenging the idea. “When you look at the literature, you find nothing that is scientifically based about 6 months being the optimal age,” Dr. Scarlett says. “Nobody really knows why we settled on 6 months. Maybe it had to do with the comfort levels of handling tissues of small animals and perhaps it had to do with anesthesia. “We found out that with a few precautions like using a hot water bottle to keep the animal warm and paying attention to tissue handling— you can’t just tug on a tiny uterus— you can spay an animal as young as 6 to 8 weeks. Most shelters are using the two-pound rule, and the data support that this is safe. There are S Dr. Tracy Land Tracy Land, DVM, a practitioner in Cumming, Ga., strongly advocates spaying and neutering, especially when pets are still young, as an integral part of relieving the pet overpopulation problem. She offers these tips for avoiding accidental or unwanted litters: • Recommend spaying and neutering at 4 months of age instead of at the standard age of 6 months. “Pregnancy and spraying, especially in cats, frequently occur before 6 months of age,” Dr. Land says. • Schedule appointments for spaying and neutering at the time of the last puppy or kitten vaccination to avoid the surgery’s being forgotten or put off until an accidental pregnancy occurs. • Recommend spaying and neutering for every animal you see, regardless of age. “Many owners are unaware of the medical problems seen in older intact animals,” Dr. Land says. “Once those risks are pointed out, over half will follow our recommendations.” Neutered males don’t have testicular cancer or the prostate problems common in intact dogs, Dr. Land says. “And we now know that spaying before the first heat reduces the risk of mammary cancer by more than 96%.” Plus, Dr. Land says, the pets won’t have to face the risk of uterine infection or the other complications associated with pregnancy, whelping, or raising a litter. And what about those clients who think their pets should have one litter or go through one heat cycle before being spayed? Dr. Land explains to the clients the risks of allowing a dog to go through one heat cycle or pregnancy as well as the fact that early spaying and neutering fosters better-behaved pets. “Neutered pets rarely spray or mark, roam, and fight,” Dr. Land says. “Eighty-five percent of bites involve intact dogs.” “Most clients follow our recommendations without hesitation,” Dr. Land says. “If they are hesitant, I tell them that the complication rate is lower and the recovery rate is faster and easier when animals are young. I compare it to children having their tonsils out, which is a minor procedure, whereas in adults it’s far more serious with a longer hospital stay and recovery time.” For more on Dr. Land’s efforts to promote spaying and neutering, visit www.projectspayneuter.com. 674 October 2007 VETERINARY MEDICINE http://www.projectspayneuter.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - October 2007

Veterinary Medicine - October 2007 Contents Leading Off The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald Toxicology Brief Idea Exchange Animal Sheltering in the United States: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow The Euthanasia Problem Offer Basic Behavior Counseling for Every Pet at Every Visit Promote and Perform Early Spaying and Neutering Assist Owners in Selecting the Best Pets for their Lifestyles Champion Animal Welfare in Your Community CE Form Product Review Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - October 2007

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